


Carmen § The Vampire Diaries §

by Imnotafurballok



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:02:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28515387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imnotafurballok/pseuds/Imnotafurballok
Summary: When awoken up at an ungodly hour in a fictional world where freaking vampires exists, Carmen couldn't help but ask God, or whatever higher power that may exist, to just let her die already.Carmen § The Vampire Diaries §Started: 01/01/21Status: WIP
Relationships: Damon Salvatore/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Carmen § The Vampire Diaries - The beginning §

**Author's Note:**

> Authors Note:  
> This is my first attempt at writing where I publish something, so I'm not expecting anyone to actually see this, but if you do any sort of criticism would be appreciated. I’m not particularly skilled in writing or anything, so I'm obviously not a great writer, but this is more to for practise than anything.  
> Thank you and much love,  
> DS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note:  
> This is my first attempt at writing where I publish something, so I'm not expecting anyone to actually see this, but if you do any sort of criticism would be appreciated. I’m not particularly skilled in writing or anything, so I'm obviously not a great writer, but this is more for practise than anything.  
> Thank you and much love,  
> DS

Mystic Falls to Carmen was a fictional town. A small fictional town that the fictional world of The Vampire Diaries revolves around. So why then did Carmen feel like someone was laughing at her when she was rudely awoken in Mystic fucking Fall? 

Navigating season one of The Vampire Diaries is a prospect none-too-ideal and Carmen is ready to fight whoever made this whimsical decision. Boring small town? No. Depressed angsty younger 'brother' and 'twin sister'? No, thank you. Fucking vampires? Yeah, Carmen would like to go back to her shitty life.

++++++++++++++

Playlist

Midnight Sky - Miley Cyrus

"I was born to run, I don't belong to anyone, oh no

I don't need to be loved by you

Fire in my lungs, can't bite the devil on my tongue, oh no"

Breakaway - Lennon Stella

"Everything is falling apart

Slipping away

No way to fight it

I'll break break away"

Heartless - The Weeknd

"Never need a bitch, I'm what a bitch need

Tryna find the one that can fix me

I've dodgin' death in the six-speed

Amphetamine got my stummy feelin' sickly"

Balaclava - The Arctic Monkeys

"The confidence is the Balaclava

I'm sure you'll baffle 'em straight

And it's wrong, wrong, wrong

She can hardly wait"

++++++++++++++


	2. 1.1 - A Small Mercy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note:
> 
> So this is my first chapter, and I have no real plan for the overall story here. I know a few things that I’m going to add that are for certain, but besides that I’m really just going with the flow. I’ve come to realise whilst writing this that dialogue is really not my strong point, which is not great, but again I wasn’t expecting this to be stellar or anything and I am just practicing.   
> Thank you and much love,   
> DS

"And all the people say

You can't wake up, this is not a dream

You're part of a machine, you are not a human being

With you face all made up, living on a screen

Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline"

Gasoline - Halsey

++++++++++++++

Flashes of blue penetrated her visions, wailing of sirens permeated through the darkness. The pain radiated though her body, pulsing, hindering any further movement. I don't want to die. Coldness seeped into her bones, ice spreading slowly through her insides. Please... sir. And then -

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Gasping, Carmen's body lurched forward. Sweat haphazardly rolled down from her head as she stilled. The continuous beeping continued as Carmen turned her head towards the screeching sound. Her first thought that morning was not 'Did I just die?' or 'Why am I in a bed? I'm certain I was bleeding out my guts not ten seconds ago.'

No. Carmen's first thought was Who even has alarm clocks anymore?

This line of thought seemed reasonable to Carmen, it's not like she had gone and travelled back to the 90s. A small mercy. Squinting, Carmen leaned towards the clock, muttering quietly "5:30. What kind of twat...", as she switched the relic off. The alarm clock was very clearly not hers (she's not in her 80's and knows how to use a phone) and neither was the bed, nor the bedroom.

The bedroom was spacious and decorated in soft light colours. Examining the room she was in gave her no clues as to where she was: double bed, a dresser, a desk, a bay window, two doors, a bedside table, and a bookcase. All white and pink. The only thing she could infer from her surroundings was that whoever lives here was well-off and that whoever she slept with the night previous clearly had the same style as her - assuming she did sleep with anyone. This isn't the first time Carmen woke up in a strangers room with no knowledge of how she got there, but something seemed off this time. Carmen felt ridiculously unbalanced. There was no headaches, no familiar churning in her stomach from drinking the previous night, and all seemed quite. And still.

Slowly slipping out of the bed, feeling weirdly put together despite being sure she got black-out drunk last night, Carmen felt her feet sink into the soft floor. She made her way towards the window and opened the curtains, only to see her face reflected back at her, and after looking past her own face saw nothing but darkness. It's five thirty, Carmen. Of course it's dark.

Knock. Knock.

Startled, Carmen's body snapped towards the door. Her eyes continued to stay wide as the door slowly opened and when the door was finally completely ajar, Carmen had still yet to react at the face that gazed at her worryingly. The face suddenly smiled a small smile.

"Hey," she spoke softly "are you ok?"

Which, no, of course she wasn't ok. Did I fucking sleep with Nina Dobrev? Am I actually standing in front of Nina Dobrev in a shirt and underwear? What the fuck is going. Carmen could only continue to stare and remain unresponsive, which wasn't particularly elegant of her, but apparently Nina Dobrev was asking her if she's ok.

Nina continued speaking, as if her silence was the usual response she'd get. "I know it's been hard, Carmen, but today's a new day and it's time to move. A new school year means a fresh start." Nina then walked towards her and reached for her hand. Ignoring her flinch, Nina continued to grip her hand gently, giving it a delicate squeeze. "I want us to be happy. It's what mom and dad would've wanted."

What the fuck is going on? Carmen couldn't for the life of her figure out what she was saying trying to tell her. School? Carmen hadn't been to school since she finished her GCSE's a year ago, and decided to forgo college and instead get a job and rot. And the mention of mom and dad couldn't be more bizarre. Her and Nina were not related, and the only siblings she had were dead or off somewhere without her. Nina's little speech didn't make any logical sense and Carmen still couldn't respond. She didn't know what to say. It seemed obvious, however, that this could not be Nina Dobrev.

Upon looking closer at the Nina-lookalike, she noticed how young she looked. Carmen was sure that Nina Dobrev was in her thirties or something, and not a doe-eyed teenager. Nor was she weirdly sentimental to strangers she might have kidnapped. Surely if Nina Dobrev was crazy it would've been huge news, right?

Remaining unresponsive seemed to not faze Not-Nina, as she squeezed her hand one more time before letting go; walking back out the door, and throwing a "get ready for school" over her shoulder. Again, confusion ran through her - she didn't go to school.

Carmen decided to leave. She should just go home and ignore Not-Nina and her weird speech. Carmen looked around the room trying to find the clothes she had on the night previous. After looking and failing to find the skimpy dress she had on the night previous, Carmen decided to just leave in the shirt and underwear. Fuck it. It's 5:30. No one in the right mind leaves the house at 5:30 anyway, no one will see her.

Leaving the room and making her way down the stairs was the easy part. Seeing Aunt Jenna sitting on the couch of the living the room didn't make sense and was much harder to compute, however. What? Carmen decided to just stare once again. She had never felt more ridiculous. Nothing made sense. After observing the area around her, everything made even less sense. It had been awhile since she watched The Vampire Diaries but even she could recognise the house she was standing in.

Is this a dream? If so, it'd be a weird one considering that Carmen didn't think about The Vampire Diaries often. She had watched the show and it's spin-off The Originals, but she had watched them as she had watched any other show or film. High or drunk (or both) sat on the coach and wasting her life away, until it was time for her shift at work, or when she inevitably decided to go out and forget her own name. Rinse and repeat. Carmen had long ago decided to wait for the next life as hers was just pathetic. No friends, no family, no nothing.

Retreating back up and into the bedroom she awoke in, she decided to just go with it. If she woke up in a weird dream, so be it. If the Carmen 'Elena' was speaking to was her then she, Carmen, must be her sister - not particularly good news, seeing as the whole show revolves around her and fucking vampires, but it's a dream so it's not like it'll last long.

Carmen couldn't help but sign in relief when looking through 'her' wardrobe. Everything there was her style, which makes sense, but she couldn't help but be glad that 2009 fashion wouldn't invade her outfit, in her own dream. A small mercy. It's bad enough she's having dream based in 2009, at least her style was safe. Their was a much wider selection then her usual, it's not like waitressing ever made her a fortune; owning a handful of clothes had always been enough for her to just exist and not complain about the woes of owning only two skirts.

It was unusual to see good quality clothing that belonged to her, but she was going to embrace it. It was her dream she could do whatever she wanted. Whilst picking out a skirt and top from the wardrobe, Carmen noticed a bottle sitting at on the floor. Vodka.

"Jackpot. Dream me knows her shit."

Instinctively, she opened the bottle and drank a huge gulp. The familiar burn of vodka soothed her. Carmen knew it was ill advised, but she also knew that this was a dream. None of this was real and if she had to go to school in her dream then at least she'll be drunk for it. And anyway, tipsy Carmen was always better company then sober Carmen.

Walking towards the dresser to apply makeup turned into a pain for Carmen when she subbed her entire foot on the corner of the bed corner. Not being able stop the "Fuck" that left her lips, she immediately stilled. Carmen knew a lot of random facts about a lot of random things. One such being: feeling pain in a dream is not impossible, but is incredibly rare. Now, Carmen also knows that she herself has never felt pain in a dream. What the fuck?

What the actual fuck?

Anyone walking may have found it bizarre to see a girl counting her fingers like she's lost it. To Carmen it was logical and there was nothing erratic about her movements at all. Carmen was suddenly feeling very regretful of drinking the vodka. Ten fingers. She had ten fucking fingers. Realising this was real was more of a nightmare than when she thought it was a dream. She was in The vampire Diaries.

This realisation was only met with confusion. Why was she here? She wasn't actually related to the Gilbert's, they were all strangers to her, and completely fictional to her. How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was walking home after a party and then being here, in a strangers bed. If she's the sister of Elena and Jeremy, then did a version of a Carmen already exist here? Was she in another Carmens body or was she put here and everyone just thinks this is who she is? Who put here, if someone did? What purpose did she have in being here?

Carmen had lots of questions and no way of knowing where to even start with finding answers.All she could really do, she concluded, was continue to go with the plot; though, she wasn't too sure if you call a new reality a plot. This was real.I'm so fucked. This wasn't what I meant when I said the next life. Fuck.

Going with the motions seemed to be the best option right now. Get dressed, apply makeup, sort out your school bag (like a loser), and just do. All the while her mind continued to race. Vampires are real. I'm so going to die. She wasn't too sure what the rational thought here was. She knew that killing and murder was wrong. But if she's in The Vampire Diaries and related to the biggest danger magnet there is, Elena Gilbert, then 'killing is wrong' is not going to last unless she just leaves. Which Carmen is very tempted to do - it's not as though she has any true responsibility to these people, they weren't related to her in any way. Not really.

But she did feel responsible. She knew the future here. She knew about the sacrifice Elena would have to go through. She knew about the hardships Jeremy would have to face. And she knew Jenna and John would die within the year in this world. Carmen had never been an older sibling, she had always been the youngest. Yet, she had always had to be the one looking after herself. Her two brothers weren't there for her. Jeremy was probably fifteen, if she remembers correctly, and naive and Elena is the same age as her, both seventeen - neither knew what the future would hold, but she did.

Fuck my morality. Am I really going to stay here and play protector for people who I don't even know?

It could've been worse, she supposes. At least she wasn't in the 90's. With awful music and technology and fashion and makeup and just godawful vibes. She was in 2009. Which still wasn't great, but it's a small mercy. At least 2009 was closer to her time. Eleven years wasn't that long to wait. She could make it and survive and not die in the hands of some bloodsuckers.

Knock. Knock.

This time Carmen didn't move an inch, applying eye liner required precision and stillness. Like last time, Elena let herself in, this time dressed and obviously looking ready to leave. For school. Do I have to go? I hadn't gone in a year, I'm going to look like an idiot trying to navigate a school in a country I'm not even from. Why couldn't The Vampire Diaries be set in England?

Elena smiled when saw her and softly spoke "Are you ready to go downstairs? I think Aunt Jenna is attempting breakfast."

To which she could only smile and nod, like an idiot. Again, Elena seemed unfazed by her continued silence. She was grateful that this Carmen wasn't much of a speaker, she'd have a hard time explaining why she was so speechless this morning; It's not like she could just say the truth. Plus, it's not like she had anything to say anyway.

Upon entering the kitchen, Carmen saw a familiar scene play out in front of her, cementing in her mind that this was real, and not in fact some weird hallucination.

"Toast. I can make toast."

Aunt Jenna. My aunt here. Who will die at the hands of Klaus. Klaus Mikaelson. Who is also very real, and very dangerous. Carmen still felt like running. Fucking vampires.

"It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna." Elena retorted to Jenna's panic. Elena. Elena Gilbert. Her sister. The human doppelgänger who will also die by Klaus' hands. Though she survives. But then dies anyway and becomes a vampire and end up with her humanity turned off. Are you serious? How am I supposed to protect this small group of people when it's Klaus Mikaelson I'll have to face to do so?

"Is there coffee?" And Jeremy. Fantastic. Carmen was just about ready to set herself on fire. After getting insanely high so she wouldn't feel the pain - she's not a masochist, after all.

Seeing Jeremy steal Elena's coffee made Carmen smile for real for the first time since waking. When Jeremy noticed her smile he smiled back. Good. I'm bonding. Carmen should probably get to know more about her new family, seeing as she's already going to be putting in the effort to face Klaus Mikaelson, a ruthless, thousand years old vampire. 

“Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money?” Jenna, or Aunt Jenna, says holding out money; both Jeremy and Carmen take the handout, although she doubted that the money was going to be spent on lunch money. She sure wasn’t.

“I'm good.” Elena spoke. Carmen didn’t understand why Elena didn’t take free money but then, she supposed, Elena didn’t look she was ever tight on money. None of the Gilberts did.

Jenna continued on frantically. “Anything else? A number two pencil? What am I missing?”

Jenna’s caring was nice, Carmen had never had a parental figure who cared enough to ask if she ever needed another pencil.

“Don't you have a big presentation today?” Elena piped up, being helpful, unlike her and Jeremy.

“I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at...now. Crap!”

“Then go. We'll be fine.” As Jenna left, there was a pause in there where no one spoke. Slightly awkward, but Carmen was a waitress; there wasn’t a lot that Carmen couldn’t put up with. “You okay?” Carmen turned towards Elena and noticed she was talking to Jeremy. 

Jeremy only glared and replied with a “don’t start” before smiling at her and then leaving out of the front door. Carmen couldn’t help but smile back; she was the favourite here, clearly. Carmen loved being the favourite. She suddenly noticed the TV playing behind the Elena: MISSING PERSONS: BROOKE AND DARREN.

Damon Salvatore. Compared to the originals Damon felt like the Easter bunny, but Carmen knew he was the first ‘evil’ she was going to have to face. Carmen really didn’t want to, but she would have to get close to him, and save Caroline from his asshole-self. Which felt like another responsibility towards people she didn’t know. Carmen wondered when she began to care about strangers.

She became aware of Elena trying to get her attention. “Are you coming with me with Bonnie, or are you driving your own car?”

Her own car? Carmen could drive, but she never could afford a licence, never mind a car. Just how well-off were the Gilbert’s, for her to have her own car?

“I’ll go with you.” She uttered her first words to her new sister.


End file.
